PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 499 



Special and Ordinary Meetings of 14th Mat, 1884, at King's 

 College, Strand, W.C, the President (Rev. W. H. Dallinger, 

 F.E.S.) IN the Chair. 



The President, in opening the special meeting (called for the 

 purpose of considering the proposed admission of ladies as Fellows 

 of the Society), requested Mr. A. D. Michael to move a resolution. 



Mr. Michael said he found himself unexpectedly charged with 

 the resolution under circumstances which he would explain. He 

 thought he should not be making any unnecessary disclosure by 

 saying that the Council were led to the consideration of the matter 

 by an application which was received from a Fellow of the Society 

 (Sir Henry W. Peek, Bart., M.P.), inquiring if it was in order for 

 him to nominate a lady as a Fellow of the Society. Being thus 

 appealed to, the Council considered the matter, and on its being 

 found that under their present by-laws it was not possible to do 

 what was asked, some of the Council were of opinion that it would 

 be desirable to admit ladies, pui'e and simple. He, for one, however, 

 was not able to see his way clear to agree with so large a proposition, 

 and his share in the matter was connected with the proviso at the 

 end of the resolution which was approved by the majority of the 

 Council, As it thus originated with him, he became charged with 

 the duty of submitting it to the meeting. The feeling of the Council, 

 as expressed by the resolution, was that there could be no objection 

 to ladies being admitted as Fellows, provided that they did not attend 

 the ordinary meetings. For his own part, he could not but see grave 

 objections to the admission of ladies at the ordinary meetings, 

 because in the course of their proceedings subjects were often intro- 

 duced which English gentlemen could not freely discuss in the 

 presence of ladies. At least, this had been found to be the effect at 

 other societies where ladies had been admitted without limitation. 

 For this reason he was opposed to the proposal as originally made ; 

 but if there was a feeling that ladies should be admitted to the other 

 privileges of the Society — the library, the instruments, Journal, &c., 

 he did not see any objection to it. He thought that probably the 

 majority of the very few ladies who might be called practical workers 

 with the Microscope would desire to share in those privileges only, 

 and that those who could give the Society the most assistance would 

 not, under any circumstances, attend the meetings. He also wished 

 it to be understood that in moving the resolution there was no desire 

 on the part of the Council to force the matter upon the Fellows. All 

 that was intended was to submit the question to them for their con- 

 sideration and to invite discussion upon it. With this view he moved 

 — " That ladies shall be eligible as Fellows of the Society, and shall 

 be subject to all the obligations and entitled to all the privileges of 

 Fellows, except that they shall not be entitled to attend the ordinary 

 meetings of the Society." 



Dr. Anthony seconded the motion. 



Mr. Crisp called attention to the fact that a special notice of this 

 meeting had been posted to all Fellows in the United Kingdom. 



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